Jail guard shot dead in market

The police are now hunting a group of unidentified men after they shot dead the other day a jail officer inside a wet market in Quezon City while he was buying food for inmates at a municipal jail.

Victim JO2 Harry Limpiado, 36, detailed at the San Juan Municipal Jail, and resident of 17311 MRB Complex, Pilot St., Barangay Commonwealth, sustained a bullet wound in the head and died on the spot.

The gunmen, armed with a handgun of unknown caliber, fled right after the shooting. They also took Limpiado’s service firearm – a 9mm pistol.

The incident took place at about 10:15 a.m. in front of the Manggahan Public Market along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.

Limpiado was apparently buying some fish when the assailants sneaked up from behind and without warning, shot the victim once in the back of the head.

Limpiado collapsed to the ground as the killers divested him of his service firearm and immediately fled the scene. The victim died instantly. Operatives of the Central Police District are now conducting follow-up operations.

Meanwhile, two unidentified men aboard bicycles shot dead a suspected drug courier early yesterday in San Andres Bukid, Manila.

Police identified the victim as Amadeo Brutas, 39, of 1661 Perlita St., San Andres Bukid, Manila. The victim was standing at the corner of Topacio and San Andres Sts., at about 3 a.m. eating pan de coco when the suspects appeared on board two bicycles.

Police said the suspects first chatted with the victim before one of them pulled out a pistol and shot the victim in the head and body at close range. After shooting the victim, police said, the suspects fled aboard their bicycles.

Homicide investigators hint that a botched drug deal could have triggered the victim’s fatal shooting. – Matthew Estabillo and Mike Frialde